Kaiten
Kaiten is a direct-to-consumer e-commerce marketplace that curates and sells limited-edition artisanal food, beverage, and kitchen products from small-batch makers in over 40 countries to individual culinary enthusiasts and gift buyers worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Kaiten does
Kaiten, operated by the US-incorporated entity Agnoris, Inc., is a direct-to-consumer e-commerce marketplace that curates and sells artisanal food, beverage, and culinary products from small-batch makers worldwide. Its assortment is anchored by Israeli producers including Rish Lakish organic olive oils from Tzipori, Wadi Attir Bedouin yogurt stones and desert teas from the Negev, Nuriel Forge hand-forged knives from the Sea of Galilee, and chocolates from David Zarbiv and Ika Cohen, with a recent expansion into Japanese partners such as IFNi Roasting & Co and Maruasa Porcelain. The platform is structured around limited-edition collaborations and "Kaiten Exclusives" sold at unit prices ranging from $9 (100ml olive oil) to $415 (bespoke knives), with curated box sets and gift-oriented bundles priced between $63 and $156.
The underlying technology is a standard e-commerce storefront (onkaiten.com) backed by AWS for data hosting, Stripe for payment processing, and Apple Pay for authentication — there is no disclosed proprietary algorithm, recommendation engine, or AI component. Customer acquisition and curation are conducted primarily through WhatsApp and email by a small internal team (1-10 employees) that travels internationally to source makers, reflecting a high-touch, concierge-style go-to-market rather than a self-serve marketplace.
Kaiten generates revenue on a transaction-fee basis through direct product sales, with worldwide shipping and pickup points in Tel Aviv and Manhattan, New York. Its customer base consists of individual food enthusiasts, gift buyers, and collectors of premium culinary tools — there are no disclosed enterprise or B2B contracts. The company was a participant in Y Combinator (March 2020 batch), and no subsequent institutional funding rounds are referenced in the available data, suggesting operations to date have been funded primarily by founders and accelerator resources.
Kaiten firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kaiten
- Legal name
- Agnoris, Inc.
- Website
- https://onkaiten.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Kaiten is a direct-to-consumer e-commerce marketplace that curates and sells limited-edition artisanal food, beverage, and kitchen products from small-batch makers in over 40 countries to individual culinary enthusiasts and gift buyers worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kaiten industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty & Artisanal Food E-commerce
- NAICS
- Baked Goods Retailers (445291), Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing (3118)
- SIC
- Retail-Food Stores (5400), Bakery Products (2050)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Online Bakery & Desserts Delivery (CRAHAIAK)
Keywords
Where Kaiten is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Kaiten business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Product Sales: Kaiten generates revenue through direct product sales on their e-commerce platform. They curate and sell artisanal food products from global makers including olive oils, chocolates, coffee kits, ceramics, knives, and culinary experiences. Revenue is transaction-based with customers purchasing individual products or curated kits.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual artisanal products |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Curated experience kits and box sets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Exclusive collaborations |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Kaiten product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kaiten is a curated online marketplace that connects food lovers with culinary artisans across 40+ countries, selling handcrafted artisanal products including organic olive oils, chocolates, coffee kits, ceramics, hand-forged knives, wood serving boards, and traditional Bedouin foods. The company travels globally to discover and curate makers, then sells their products directly through its own e-commerce website with worldwide shipping, supplemented by personalized curation via WhatsApp and email.
Product overview
Kaiten is a curated e-commerce platform connecting food lovers with culinary artisans worldwide. The core offering centers on the Kaiten Platform, supplemented by Kaiten Exclusives—proprietary product collaborations—and featured product lines including Rish Lakish Organic Olive Oils, Wadi Attir Bedouin Products, and Nuriel Forge Bespoke Knives. The platform also offers themed collections like Coffee Kits, The Perfect Gin & Tonic Set, and seasonal collaborations with makers such as Hila Hochman, David Zarbiv, and Ika Chocolate. Products range from artisan food items (oils, chocolates, confections) to kitchen tools (knives, wood boards) and culinary experiences.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Kaiten Platform (Curated Artisan Marketplace) An online curated marketplace connecting food lovers with culinary artisans worldwide, offering hand-picked artisanal products with an emphasis on fair trade and maker-direct sourcing across 40+ countries.
- Kaiten Exclusives Products and projects made available exclusively through Kaiten, including curated collaborations between makers that cannot be found elsewhere.
- Rish Lakish Organic Olive Oils Award-winning organic extra virgin olive oils hand-harvested from ancient olive trees (some over 1,000 years old) in Tzipori, northern Israel, by a second-generation family producer. Includes varieties such as Barnea, Koroneiki, Coratina, Suri Romi, and infused oils, packaged in boxes and limited-edition handmade ceramic bottles.
- Wadi Attir Bedouin Products Traditional Bedouin food products from the Negev region of Israel, including Yogurt Stone (Afik / 'Parmesan of the Desert') and Desert Herbal Tea, produced using indigenous culinary methods combined with sustainable agriculture.
- Nuriel Forge Bespoke Knives Hand-forged bespoke kitchen knives crafted by Yochai Nuriel in northern Israel using local wood and metals. Includes Santoku 17cm high-carbon niobium steel blades with eucalyptus and brass handles, made in limited quantities for home and professional kitchens.
- Yuval Buchstab Wood Boards & Utensils Hand-carved wood serving platters, boards, and utensils made from locally restored wood by third-generation woodworkers, including signature 'Serve with Style' platters with distinctive whittled patterns paired with finished knives.
- IFNi x Maruasa Coffee Kit Curated limited-edition coffee experience kit featuring beans from IFNi Roasting & Co (Shizuoka, Japan) and porcelain coffee cups handcrafted by Maruasa Porcelain (Gifu, Japan), launching Kaiten's Japanese coffee series.
- The Perfect Gin & Tonic Set Curated gin and tonic gift set combining herbal crafts from Japan and Israel, featuring small (200ml) or large (700ml) gin bottles paired with flavored tonic syrups.
- Kaiten x Stern-Licht Herbal Tonics Handcrafted tonic syrups for cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks, made from bitter and aromatic plants, citrus fruits, and flowers harvested from Mount Gilboa and the Negev Desert in Israel. Includes three flavors: Rosé 'Cola', Grapefruit and Hibiscus, and Autumn Sun.
- Handmade Ceramic Olive Oil Bottles Limited-edition collaboration bottles pairing award-winning Rish Lakish organic olive oil with hand-crafted ceramic vessels (500ml and 2L) designed especially for storing and pouring olive oil.
- David Zarbiv Chocolates Handmade specialty chocolates by Tel Aviv-based chocolatier David Zarbiv, including snack bars, spreads, marshmallows, English toffee, sugared citrus peels, and seasonal collections (Passover, Spring) inspired by French chocolatier traditions.
- Ika Chocolate x Gastronome Sher Cherry Collection Cherry praline collection featuring 9 different cherry varieties in chocolates plus one pâte de fruit, inspired by biodiversity across US farms and created through collaboration between chocolatier Ika Cohen and gastronome Sher (University of Gastronomy Science graduate).
Companies that use Kaiten
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Kaiten technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Kaiten partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- IFNi Roasting & CocoreJapanese coffee roaster based in Shizuoka, founded by Masakazu Matsuba in 2001. Provided coffee beans for the Ifni x Maruasa Kit - a limited edition coffee experience featuring Papua New Guinea and Myanmar blend. Kaiten collaborates with IFNi on curated coffee kits.
- Maruasa PorcelaincorePorcelain factory from Gifu region, Japan, founded in 1916. Known for Mino yaki pottery dating back to 7th century. Current owner Keishiro Matubara revived artisanal production. Provides limited edition porcelain coffee cups for Kaiten coffee kits.
- Rish LakishcoreSecond-generation family-owned organic olive oil producer in Tzipori, Israel. Noy Meir family produces award-winning olive oil from 6,000 trees including 2,500 dating back a millennium. Sells exclusively through Kaiten platform with worldwide shipping.
- Wadi AttircoreBedouin food project in Negev region, Israel. Combines indigenous culinary methods with sustainable agriculture. Produces traditional yogurt stones and desert herbal teas. Sells through Kaiten platform.
- Nuriel ForgecoreBespoke knife maker near Sea of Galilee, Israel. Yochai Nuriel crafts handmade knives using local wood and metals. Creates limited edition knives exclusively for Kaiten collaborations including paring knives and Santoku knives.
- Naama Stern-LichtminorHerbal tonic producer creating syrups from locally sourced plants in Israel. Products include Rosé 'Cola', Grapefruit and Hibiscus, and Autumn Sun tonics. Collaboration on Kaiten x Stern-Licht Herbal Tonics.
- David ZarbivminorTel Aviv-based chocolatier creating specialty chocolates inspired by French chocolatiers. Started from small apartment without stove, developed unique style combining classic techniques with personal vision. Sells seasonal chocolate collections through Kaiten.
- Hila HochmanminorIsraeli confection maker creating citrus confections from seasonal fruits in her backyard. Collaborates with Kaiten on limited edition confection boxes featuring traditional recipes with local ingredients.
- Ika CohenminorChocolatier with 13 years of experience creating meticulous sweets. Award-winning work featured at prestigious festivals globally. Collaborated with gastronome Sher on Cherry Praline Collection available through Kaiten.
- Sher (Gastronome)minorGraduate of University of Gastronomy Science in northern Italy. Collaborated with Ika Cohen on Cherry Praline Collection, studying 20+ cherry varieties across US farms for the collection.
- Nurit Hertz (Nura)minorForager and award-winning chef from Moshav Mata, Israel. Offers culinary experiences including guided tours and intimate lunches. Collaborates with Kaiten on food experiences in Judean Hills.
- Amazon AWScoreCloud infrastructure provider for data storage and processing. Referenced in privacy policy as partner for establishing and protecting data storage facilities.
- StripecorePayment processing provider. Collects and processes financial information on behalf of Kaiten for transactions.
- ApplecoreUsed for secure payment authentication and transaction processing. Referenced in privacy policy for payment handling.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Kaiten competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Goldbelly: Goldbelly is a curated e-commerce marketplace shipping iconic, hard-to-find American artisan foods directly to consumers nationwide. Like Kaiten, it focuses on storytelling around regional makers and limited-availability signature products, making it the closest direct comparison in model and customer experience.
- Food52: Food52 operates a curated marketplace for kitchen tools, pantry staples, and small-batch food from independent makers, supported by editorial storytelling. Its combination of curated commerce and community-driven discovery mirrors Kaiten's curated-discovery model aimed at home culinary enthusiasts.
- Burlap & Barrel: Burlap & Barrel is a direct-trade spice company that sources single-origin spices directly from farmers worldwide and sells through its own e-commerce site. Like Kaiten, it emphasizes producer storytelling, fair compensation, and limited-availability small-batch SKUs.
- Farm to People: Farm to People is a curated online marketplace connecting New York-area diners with small, sustainable farmers and food artisans. Kaiten shares the same curated small-maker philosophy, though Farm to People is more regional and grocery-oriented while Kaiten is global and gift/experience-oriented.
- Mouth: Mouth is an online marketplace curating small-batch American foods and craft gifts, sold through curated boxes and individual SKUs. It is a close analog to Kaiten's curation-plus-gifting positioning, though with a strictly U.S. maker base.
- Try The World: Try The World curates international artisan food boxes and pantry items from makers across multiple countries, delivered as discovery experiences. Like Kaiten, it centers on global maker storytelling and curated tasting experiences rather than everyday grocery.
Broad incumbents
- Eataly: Eataly is a global premium Italian food retailer and marketplace operating both physical flagships and online channels. It overlaps with Kaiten in premium artisan food retail and storytelling but is far broader in assortment and serves as a benchmark for the experiential specialty-grocery category.
- Dean & DeLuca: Dean & DeLuca is a long-established premium specialty-food retailer offering curated gourmet groceries, gifts, and pantry items. It shares Kaiten's premium gift and pantry positioning but operates as a broad incumbent rather than a curated-maker marketplace.
- Williams Sonoma: Williams Sonoma is a large premium retailer of kitchen tools, cookware, and specialty pantry items with a significant e-commerce presence. Its curated-cookware and pantry assortment overlaps with Kaiten's higher-end knife, ceramic, and gourmet gift SKUs, but at far broader scale.
Emerging players
- La Boîte à Epice / Diaspora Co. Diaspora Co. is a direct-trade spice and pantry brand sourcing single-origin ingredients from heritage producers globally and selling via its own DTC site. It shares Kaiten's maker-first, story-led, premium-DTC playbook within a narrower pantry category.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kaiten social profiles
Digital presenceKaiten financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kaiten leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Kaiten funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kaiten M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kaiten
What does Kaiten do?
Kaiten is a curated online marketplace that connects food lovers with culinary artisans across 40+ countries, selling handcrafted artisanal products including organic olive oils, chocolates, coffee kits, ceramics, hand-forged knives, wood serving boards, and traditional Bedouin foods. The company travels globally to discover and curate makers, then sells their products directly through its own e-commerce website with worldwide shipping, supplemented by personalized curation via WhatsApp and email.
Is Kaiten a public or private company?
Kaiten is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Kaiten founded?
Kaiten was founded in 2022. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Kaiten based?
Kaiten is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Kaiten make money?
One revenue line is on record: product Sales.
Who are Kaiten's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Goldbelly, Food52, Burlap & Barrel, Farm to People, Mouth and Try The World. Broad incumbents are Eataly, Dean & DeLuca and Williams Sonoma. La Boîte à Epice / Diaspora Co. is listed as an emerging player.
Does Kaiten have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kaiten.
What industry is Kaiten in?
Kaiten's product category is Specialty & Artisanal Food E-commerce. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHAIAK, Online Bakery & Desserts Delivery. Its NAICS code is 445291 and its SIC code is 5400.